Martin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Resources and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

If that is the case—and we have the opposition representative, the member for Canning, saying that it is okay—then perhaps the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, the member for Curtin, should be told. She is out there arguing that there is no capacity to increase government revenue through increasing taxation on the Australian resources sector.

We can come to this conclusion: the coalition have no policies of their own. They would sooner put self interest ahead of the national interest so as to maximise donations for the purposes of paying for the next election. We will continue to argue this and, at the end of the day, there will be higher tax taken from the resources sector and we will invest it in the future of Australia’s communities because that is in the national interest. The opposition stands for one thing alone—that is self interest and short-term political gain. (Time expired)

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